Shadows Falling
by Gulldara
Summary: Perhaps the most unnerving thing was he liked being around her. She was a mystery to him, a mystery that he was keen to figure out regardless of the consequences; regardless of the fact he may be prying into territory that did not concern him. LJ 7th year
1. Crawling

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Anything you do not recognise from the either the films or the books, belongs to the author of this FANFICTION.

**Shadows Falling **

The platform was filled with noise, students bidding farewell to their families, owls hooting discontentedly, shrieks as friends reunited after a summer of twisted murders and some of the worst atrocities seen in centuries. Stationed at intervals were Law Enforcement officers dressed in their shocking red robes, hands on wands, looking around with wary eyes.

An old wizard dressed in a shabby blue cloak put a whistle to his mouth and blew. "All aboard! All aboard! Hogwarts Express leaving Kings Cross Station in two minutes!" The noise level rose as students began to pick their way through clumps of people, carrying bird cages or cat baskets in their arms, the occasional new broomstick catching the attention of admiring Quidditch fans.

James reached up and pushed the small sliding window shut, blocking out the clamour of the station. The compartment was hardly what he would have described as spacious, even less so when there were three other eighteen-year-old boys in there with him. Or nearly eighteen, in the grand scheme of things.

His own parents were not amongst those waving to their children, his father having had a rather pressing engagement to sort out at the Ministry, and his mother… well, she wasn't in the healthiest of states to come and say goodbye.

"You alright, mate?" Sirius asked, watching his best friend and the annoyance that was evident on his face.

"Huh? Oh yes, fine," James replied tonelessly. He grinned. "There are times when I think I should become an expert in the field of Charms and invent one that reduces noise to the level which you want it to stay at. Then we wouldn't have to listen to McGonagall berating us every time anyone causes trouble."

Sirius snorted with laughter, tearing his eyes away from the scenes outside the window. "You reckon?"

James grinned before launching into a dramatic speech. "You do not support me in my wish to become a Master in Charms? You do not think I am capable of graceful wand movements, you-"

The door had been pulled back.

"I don't know about Sirius but if you were asking me, I certainly wouldn't support your decision in becoming a Master of Charms. As for graceful wand movements, I've seen a hippopotamus with more elegance," interrupted a voice with a decidedly Northwest accent.

"Evans, don't be so harsh on the boy, he can dream can't he?" Sirius answered with a bark-like laugh. "Besides, I thought you'd stopped all of that nonsense at the end of last year?"

Lily waved it off. "Old habits are hard to break, Sirius, trust me. I spent the whole summer trying to control my temper around Petunia. It was sheer torture. And to top it all off, all my clothes smell of cleaning fluid," she replied, turning her head and looking at something down the corridor. "Jonesie! I've been looking for you. Come down here!"

Jonesie or Hestia, as she was christened, joined her friend at the door, smiling brightly. She was fairly tall and built with a heavy structure that made her resemble an Amazon woman. Her black hair was tied back in a long braid and her cheeks were flushed with a healthy glow. "Hello everybody," she greeted them cheerfully. A chorus of 'Hey' and 'Hello' went around the compartment.

"Why exactly did you have to try and keep your temper around your sister?" James inquired, a gleam in his eye.

Lily flushed and looked down at her trainers. Slowly she said, "Well, I've already received two official warnings from the Ministry telling me not to do magic outside of school, threatening me with expulsion if I did it again," she tapered off slightly red in the cheeks.

The fact that Lily had received warnings from the Ministry during the summer holidays after first and fifth years was something she had managed to keep quiet. Breaking the rules went against all her principles, and besides, both times she could truthfully say it wasn't her fault. If it had been anybody's fault, it was Petunia's- yet another reason for her to dislike her sister. If it hadn't been for Petunia and her huge desire to snoop through Lily's things, then she wouldn't have done the magic in the first place.

"Evans, you're going to have to learn when it's wisest to keep quiet about these things. For as long as you live I will constantly remind you of what a rebel you were at Hogwarts," James said casually, a broad grin adorning his face.

Lily rather childishly stuck her tongue out, causing much laughter amongst the compartment. "When I can think of something to blackmail you with Potter, be assured I'll do it," she warned.

"I'm sure you will." James glanced at his watch, as the train suddenly jolted into life. Slowly it began to pull away from the station, letting off a shrill blare as it went. Some of the smaller children started pursuing it, waving to the people at the windows with disquiet energy. They gradually fell back as the Express picked up too much speed, and resorted to chasing each other.

"Moony, when does the prefect meeting take place, again?"

"In about five minutes time." He looked up at Lily and let a small smile onto his drawn face. "Did you get Head Girl, or not?"

"Oh. Yes, yes I did. I was rather surprised, I thought Judith would make it."

Hestia snorted. "Judith wouldn't say boo to a goose. She's too meek to make any impression on a student, let alone give 'em a right telling off. You and that temper of yours on the other hand, those poor first years are going to be terrified." She shook her head slightly.

Lily hit her friend lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up. I can be nice to people! The only people they'll be frightened of is those four and their terrible pranks." She gestured to the four with accusing eyes.

James merely grinned. It wasn't as if they pulled a lot of practical jokes, it wasn't even as if the ones they did play were nasty. In fact, the main reason for them pulling a prank was to cause a distraction, or it had been up until they had created the Marauder's Map. Of course, they created distractions on a regular basis, especially when they wanted to raid a teacher's office or the private potion store that their Potions teacher had. All in the name of experimentation, naturally.

"Aww, come on Evans, it isn't as if they're hurting anybody, is it?" he said.

"No, but I can't say the same thing for all those poor people you hex. Especially Severus Snape," she snapped, before saying in a more light hearted tone, "How Dumbledore chose you as Head Boy is beyond me. I was really hoping for someone who would take their responsibilities seriously and I get stuck with you for the whole year."

James bit back the urge to mock her, and merely nodded in agreement. Before the conversation took a nasty turn, Remus cleared his throat. "We'd better be getting along if you want to get there on time." It was just as well that Remus had interrupted, before he had put his foot in it. He had only just gained Lily's friendship, it was important not to lose it.

The prefects' compartment was already filling by the time they had arrived. James had fished out his Head Boy badge and pinned it on his shirt, self-consciously tugging at it every now and then as if it would turn to dust before his very eyes.

He had been as shocked as everyone else had when he had received the owl from Dumbledore. He had even gone so far as to write a letter to his Headmaster insisting his mother wanted proof of Dumbledore's decision, that it wasn't some sort of wind up. Inside he had felt hurt that even his own mother couldn't believe for a minute that he was mature enough to handle a job with responsibilities, with out it being a joke.

The last people to arrive in quick succession were the Slytherins. James was surprised to see Sirius's younger brother, Regulus, there. He had already pulled on his black school robes and attached the Prefect's badge to his chest. In many respects he looked like his older brother, but his build wasn't the same. He was ganglier with chalky, pale skin that was taught over his face-not to mention the fact he was a Slytherin. With a jolt of realisation, James remembered that Sirius had looked just as gaunt and ill the first time they had met.

Lily had remained standing up, reading through sheets of parchment left by the driver of the train on Dumbledore's instructions. Her head was tilted towards the window, allowing her to read more easily and she seemed totally unperturbed by the malicious looks directed her way by the Slytherin prefects.

James' relationship concerning the Head Girl was just as confusing to him as it was to anyone else. She confused him to the point where he was in two minds about who she was. There were times when she could be perfectly civil towards him and they got on. Then there were times when she turned hostile with a cruel wit that was not by any means intelligent, rather snappish, and unnecessary.

Perhaps the most unnerving thing was he liked being around her when she was in either mood. She was a mystery to him, a mystery that he was keen to figure out regardless of the consequences; regardless of the fact he may be prying into territory that did not concern him.

The meeting ran smoothly: only minor disturbances were induced by the Slytherins and James did his fair bit of the workload. The amount of work that had to be done: sorting out the passwords for the prefect bathrooms and four houses, arranging patrolling schedules for both the train and the school corridors, as well as answering any concerns the new prefects had.

Hours later, when the sprawling cities and the neat countryside had been left behind, James had found himself in a compartment full of people. Along with Sirius, Remus, and Peter, he had been joined by Lily, Hestia, and Alison.

According to Alison and Hestia, their former compartment had become a playground for arguments after Kathryn Hunter and a few of her Ravenclaw friends had invited themselves in. It wasn't that the girls didn't like their Ravenclaw counterparts, for they got on considerably well, or they got on with Kathryn well, the others were more inclined to stick to their own house.

"Did you hear about the attacks in Wolverhampton?" Alison asked suddenly, looking around with large eyes.

James nodded slowly and swallowed. "It was hard not to with it being splashed all over the Daily Prophet like it was." He paused lowering his voice and saying, "I overheard my Dad talking to one of his colleagues the other day. From what I gathered, the Ministry had wanted Wolverhampton covered as much as possible. It wasn't the only place to be attacked that day. Nottingham and Halifax were also targeted, but of course Bagnold didn't want that becoming public knowledge, did she?" He leaned back in his seat. "Glossed over the whole thing, made it seem like they were in control of the situation."

"Why would Bagnold do that, though?" Hestia inquired cautiously.

Sirius snorted and Remus closed his book slowly answering, "She doesn't want to let the public know how insecure the Ministry is. Everybody looks to the Ministry in times like this. If they see it crumbling to pieces under the pressure You-Know-Who's putting it under, then there will be wide spread panic. People will join You-Know-Who if they think he's going to take over soon."

"Exactly," Sirius agreed.

Peter frowned. "I don't like what's happening. Don't like it one bit. My mum's been unbearable over the summer, even worse the usual. She's got her hands on all of those leaflets the Ministry gave out, pinned them all over the house, she has." He bit his lip and looked towards the floor, his shoulders sagging slightly.

"Don't worry Peter, everything will be all right in the end. It always is." Lily spoke up, giving the boy a comforting smile. "Mum and Petunia are oblivious to everything. John said it was for the best if they didn't know."

They arrived at Hogsmeade station at a quarter to eight in the evening. Darkness had already fallen, though the station appeared to be buzzing with life. James could see wizards in official-looking robes bustling around the platform, wands trailing thin beams of light that cut through the shadows.

A disembodied voice rang through the train, causing the chatter to die down considerably. "After disembarking from the train, please form an orderly line. A Ministry official will direct groups of students to a carriage. Leave your luggage on the train, it will be brought up to the school separately."

"Well, they're certainly not taking any chances this year," Alison said with a sigh, peering out of the train window tentatively as she stood up.

A wall of cold air rushed at them as they descended onto the Platform. It may have only been September the first but the weather was more suited to November, with its chilled winds and dark nights. The platform was heavily guarded by Law Enforcement officers who were directing students towards the invisibly drawn carriages.

The giant figure that was Hagrid, the gamekeeper, could be seen as timid first years were sent his way. "I wonder if the Ministry officials will go in the boats with them?" Hestia whispered just loud enough to be heard amongst their group.

"I don't know. At least they're not abandoning the traditional lake crossing, that's something I suppose. A bit of normality for once. I would've been upset if we hadn't been able to do the crossing as first years," Lily replied, hugging her cloak tighter to herself.

Eventually the queue of students dwindled down as the carriages started to trundle up towards the imposing castle. The Law Enforcement guards were watching them all carefully; some turned outwards peering into the gloom of the night as if expecting an attack to take place there and then.

_They wouldn't be there if they didn't think it was possible._

"Sweet Circe, if they're like this just getting us off a train, imagine what Hogsmeade visits are going to be like," Sirius muttered, causing James to grimace. He couldn't envision any Hogsmeade visits taking place at all this year. Previously, especially towards the end of sixth year, they had to be escorted in groups from shop to shop by a member of staff, or two, depending on the size of the group.

The carriage smelt of damp wood, rotting straw and was nothing short of unpleasant, as it wheeled over the uneven track, occasionally making his head collide with the thick wooden board behind it.

There was relief all around when it finally drew to a halt in front of the steps. Light was spilling out from beyond the entrance hall doors, making the castle seem more inviting and homely then usual. An intense feeling of warmth swept over James as he stepped over the threshold.

The Sorting, as always, took a fair amount of time to complete. It was enjoyable all the same, for it would be the last Sorting ceremony any of the seventh years would see, unless they took up a teaching position at the end of the year.

After the ceremony came the feast, a delicious assortment of foods sent up from the kitchens below, though James highly doubted anyone knew that unless they'd troubled themselves in finding the kitchens. The food was well overdue in his own opinion, the last time he had eaten had been on the train, and even then it had only been sweets, hardly filling.

Nearly Headless Nick, or Sir Nicholas, as he was constantly reminding students, came up through the table causing several people to shriek with surprise. "All right, Nick?" James said, swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Hello, hello," Nick said jovially turning, his head in James's direction. "I have some news that might interest you, sir, yes indeed." He paused in which James suspected he was meant to look impressed. Nick lowered his voice and said, "There is to be an international Quidditch tournament held here at Hogwarts! Well? Don't you find it an exciting occurrence?"

"Nick," James began and diminished his voice quickly seeing that Nick's little outburst had attracted some attention. "Are you sure? Don't you think it would be a bit risky having, er, something like that with V-You-Know-Who taking over-"

"Oh tosh," interrupted Nick in a huff of cold air. "You'll see. I can guarantee it." With an air of bad grace and a good mood quickly abandoned, Nick swooped away to the other end of Gryffindor table.

James stared after the ghost, bewilderment riddling his face. It wasn't possible to have something like that at Hogwarts in the times they were going through. It just wasn't right. It would make Hogwarts more of a target, surely?

**A/N:** There you have it,first installment of Shadows Falling. This is a re-write of an old fic I had up on , Last Chance. My reasons for discontinuing it still stand and I like this version much better! Please review, I would greatly appreciate the engouragement that all reviews give a writer! Thanks so much for reading! Cookies for you all!

FF


	2. Not Far Behind

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Anything you do not recognise from the either the films or the books, belongs to the author of this FanFiction.

**  
Shadows Falling**

Despite James' worries, Nearly Headless Nick appeared to be right. The announcement that Hogwarts would be holding the European Youth Quidditch Cup had sparked excitement from the majority of the student body and Dumbledore was now signalling for quiet. He got it almost instantly with a raise of his hand.

"Delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving within the next month. I hope that all of you will make our guests feel welcome. Trials to find our team are open to fourth years and above. If, however, you are on a house team and are under fourth year you may try out. Details on the tournament will be announced nearer the time, however, its history and any other matters can be found in the library from various sources. I am sure Madam Pince will be delighted to point you in the right direction."

The noise level rose once more: cries of complaints from those not on the House teams and under the entering age but fanatics in their own right and friends of those on House teams asking eagerly whether they were to try out or not.

James had listened patiently, his mind ticking over the information being taken in. There were to be only three teams taking part. One from Beauxbatons, one from Durmstrang and of course, one from Hogwarts. Apparently, due to the raging war, several of the smaller schools had refused, fearing for their pupils' safety. As Hogwarts was playing host, the delegations from both schools would be arriving at the castle sometime within the next month; and within that time Hogwarts had to pick its own team from hundreds of hopefuls.

--

Like a porcelain doll, she had an air of fragility surrounding her as she sat staring out of the window, droplets of rain trickling down the pane. Sickly looking skin was pulled taught over her face, apart from the area around her brown eyes which was slack and blemished purple from lack of sleep. A bulky cloak hid her painfully thin arms and although the fire was lit, she was still cold, so very cold.

The door to the room opened and a man in his late thirties walked in, polished shoes clipping on the wooden floorboards. The woman, for she was definitely no girl, looked up. "Edward, why have you come back so soon?" She tugged at a strand of cotton on her robe. "It isn't even lunchtime yet. You should be at the Ministry."

The man, Edward, sighed impatiently. "I know I should, Gwendolyn, don't nag me." He paused. "A family was murdered near Liverpool in the early hours of this morning. Bagnold doesn't want the press to get hold of it, no real surprise there. The public will find out eventually, and when they do there'll be an uproar. Old Barty Crouch is in agreement with me; the sooner Bagnold goes the better. We need someone in charge who is more concerned with getting rid of You-Know-Who than protecting their public image!"

This news seemed to have little affect on Gwendolyn, who had turned her head mid-way through to look out across the garden, where gnomes were appearing every now and again and running to find a better shelter from the harsh rain. "I don't like it when you tell me things like that, Edward. It makes me feel like a pathetic, good-for-nothing waste of space, because I know that's what I am!" Her voice was riddled with bitterness.

"You are not!" exclaimed Edward. "It's not your fault-"

"I hate it when you lie as well. Just look at me! Ever since I stopped working, my condition has deteriorated faster. I don't want to die with the memories that I did nothing in my last few years apart from stare out of a blasted window all day." She stopped, taking a deep breath and composing herself as best she could. "I've decided that I'll go and see Dumbledore at Hogwarts as soon as I feel a little better, see if he has anything useful for me to complete.

Edward looked at his feet and slowly nodded. "If- if that's what you want Gwen, I'm-I'm not stopping you this time." He took out a pocket watch from his pocket, looking as the small planets encircled each other. He was going to have his head chewed off by Moody if he didn't make a move. He shuffled two steps closer, leaning down to kiss his wife on the cheek.

"I'm going to have to go, Gwendolyn. Did James get to the station all right?" Edward asked.

Gwendolyn smiled sadly and tilted her head into a half-nod. "He did. I'm afraid that he's still angry with me for not believing him when he received Head Boy."

"He'll get over it, Gwendolyn, he's normally as resilient as a springboard. Don't worry. Francesca should come round about three this afternoon. Morry will let her in. I'll see you this evening." With another peck on the cheek, Edward swept hurriedly out of the room, aware of his impending lateness to another meeting.

--

The feast had ended on a high note, students talking excitedly at the prospect of the European Cup ending up at Hogwarts. That, and the fact there would be new students residing within the school walls. James was getting fairly fed up of people asking him whether he was going to tryout. It would be stupid not to.

He had given it some thought but the answer had always been there, in the back of his head. He had loved Quidditch when he was younger, before he had come to Hogwarts and after. The first year rule had annoyed him to no end and he had seriously considered smuggling his own broom in. Flying lessons had been the highlight of his first year, well, that and mercilessly teasing Severus Snape. What a prat he had been.

James, much to his own surprise, found he had no desire to go to sleep after the feast. His mind was buzzing with a contained excitement, even if he did not show it outwardly. He felt a small smile creep onto his face as he sat himself down in one of the armchairs. He could see it now. The cheering crowds roaring on the Hogwarts team. And him, holding the huge trophy above his head admiring looks from all directions, Lily included.

The sound of feet tiptoeing down the stairs made him scowl deeply as his fantasy melted away from the front of his mind. He turned his head sharply and was just about to let a tirade out on the little bugger who had dared disturb his placidity. However, he stopped almost immediately, for it was not the third year he had been expecting, it was a seventh year. Lily, to be precise.

She looked around blearily before stepping off the last stair and making her way too one of the armchairs. Her hair was tousled, tumbling around her face and onto the plain white dressing gown she had on. Two bare feet, complete with chipped nail varnish were pulled onto the armchair and one of the cushions was dumped on them to keep them in some state of warmth.

"I need to get some Dreamless Sleeping Solution from Miss Poppy," Lily said, breaking the silence.

James tilted his head slightly in an attempt to stop his glasses from slipping off his nose. "Bad dreams, Evans?"

"Something like that," Lily replied, looking up briefly, and then going back to fiddling with a ring on her right hand. James intrigued with some inner fascination, watched as the precious metal glinted in the half-light of the fire. It was elegant, bands of gold weaving between each other to create an intricate Celtic design. James had only come across that particular type of ring once before, in the window of a rather posh looking Muggle shop, and had found himself admiring them. They were unlike anything a wizard might own; they did have pretty rings forged by the goblins- who prided themselves in their ability to make anything out of a precious material such as gold- but Muggle rings were a whole new spectre.

"I like your ring," James blurted out. He immediately regretted it, the back of his neck turning an uncharacteristic shade of red.

Lily looked at him surprised, immediately dropping her hands into her lap. "Er, thanks." There was a long silence and then, "You're seriously weird sometimes, Potter."

James frowned slightly. "How so?"

Lily shrugged. "You just are. I mean you and the other guys are so secretive at times. You'll sit in a corner of a room and snap at anybody who comes within three foot of you. It's just kind of strange."

"Point taken," James said, a jaunty grin returning to his face once more. He really didn't want to drag the conversation any further into the topic. That would have been like setting up his own murder. No one could know anything about Remus, or the fact Sirius, Peter and himself accompanied him on full moons as illegal Animagi, unless Remus was ready for his secret to be unleashed. "Did I ever congratulate you on getting Head Girl?"

"I don't know, it doesn't really matter though, it's hardly like I was shaking your hand, either." A wry smile was forming on her lips as she spoke. "Imagine what poor Severus's face will be like when he finds out."

This thought alone was enough to make the grin on James's face grow that little bit larger. True, he may have backed off a bit where 'Snivellus' was concerned, but that still did not quash the satisfied feeling when he saw his enemy look jealously upon him in any way, shape or form. "I thought you were against Snape bashing?" James questioned after a minute or two.

"Oh, I am!" Lily retorted quickly. "But when it comes down to it, Potter, he's a Slytherin and I'm not entirely against getting one over on them."

"I can see your principles have changed since fifth year, Evans," said James, adopting the kind of accusing voice McGonagall had whenever she caught him doing something wrong. Lily straightened herself up slightly, looking directly at him with narrowed eyes. She relaxed and then conceded.

"Alright, so what if they have? Am I not allowed to change my principles now?"

"I never said that. I said I could see that your views-principles- have changed over the years. It isn't such a bad thing to do, hell no! In fact, I think it's very brave of you," James remarked in an attempt to prevent an argument this early on in the school year.

Lily arched an eyebrow, "Brave? How is changing my opinions slightly, or taking a different view on things, brave?"

"Well," James began slowly, "With everything that's happening in the world you can't afford to change your opinions on what's happening." Lily looked at him slightly bewildered so he ploughed on. "Take for example a Death Eater. He or she has been serving Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who, for a while when they suddenly come to the realisation that what they're doing is wrong. If they tried to back out it's likely that they'd be deemed a traitor and probably killed."

Lily lowered her eyes and then nodded. "I can understand that, but it doesn't have anything to do with me changing my opinion, does it?"

"No. It's just an example. You have to be careful about what you say, and to whom you say it."

There was another silence, where only the crackling of dry wood burning could be heard. "Where do you get all this stuff from, James?" The use of his first name had been a jolt. Lily only used his first name occasionally and each time, in previous years, it had given him some hope that maybe, one day, she would accept him properly, for who he was, not who he could be.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, all these things about the world, what's happening to it now- everything. The conversation in the train, about those wizards and witches who got murdered, you knew they weren't the only people to die, but it wasn't in the Prophet or anything," Lily said impatiently.

"I pick things up from my Dad. He works at a senior level in the Ministry," he replied slowly. James was slightly uncomfortable saying anything concerning his family. He had been told pacifically that he was not allowed, under any circumstances, to tell of his father's occupation. The reason he had yet to discover, yet he was dissolved that he would, eventually.

"That would explain it. I just had these visions of you breaking into the Ministry or something stupid." Lily let a small laugh escape her at the thought, and James found himself smiling too. It was exactly the kind of thing he and Sirius would do, if it were important enough.

Slowly the dawn bled into the dark sky, pushing back the shroud of dark that had covered the Scottish highlands. James had eventually managed to drag himself upstairs and to bed, leaving Lily to her own devices down in the common room. He had found it slightly odd that he had managed to stay awake for that period of time, but there again he was talking to someone who had intrigued him for years.

--

**A/N: **Second chapter up! Any questions, bloopers, opinions etc. that you'd like to share with me, please do! Cookies go to **anniePADFOOT **and **auroraborealis **for reviewing, thank you guys!

And don't forget to check out Forbidden Love, my new pet project!

Thanks once again,

FF


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